Ironing table



April 30, 1940.

A. c. KosTER 2,199,373

IRONING TABLE Filed Feb. 2l, 1938 INVENTOR ATTO R NEYS Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED. STATES PATENT "orties 2,199,373 Y. IRONING TABLE Anthony C". Koster, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 21, 1938, Serial No. 191,814

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ironing tables and l more particularly to such of the folding type.

An important object of the invention is to provide a simple foldable supporting leg arrangement which is easily operated into opened and closed positions and in opened position alfords ample rigidity and stability for the supported table top or board.

Another object of the invention is to provide separate front and rear leg assemblies which are independently movable to opened position but are cooperatively constructed and arranged whereby, upon movement of the rear leg assembly to closed position, the front leg assembly is engaged thereby and simultaneously moved therewith to closed position.

Other objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fully appear in the following specification.

A structure embodying a practical adaptation of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing: I

Figure 1 is 'a perspective view showing the table with the supporting leg assemblies in opened position;

Figure 2 is a side view showing the leg assemblies in closed position; and

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the table with the leg assemblies in the closed position as shown in Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I0 designates the tabletop or board which may be of the usual conventional shape. On the underside of the top or board I0, near the rear end thereof, is a cleat II to which is attached a pair of bracket members I2 which are formed with looped bearing portions I3.

Hingedly mounted on the bracket members I2 is the rear leg unit I4 which is preferably formed integrally of a single metal rod bent to provide an intermediate transverse portion I5 which is @journalled in the bearing portions I3 of the brackiets I2 and from the opposite ends of which the pair of leg members I6 extend divergently. As shown, the leg members I6 are braced transversely by a cross member I'I. Obviously, however, the unit may be additionally or otherwise suitably braced. In any case, however, it is preferable to provide the cross member Il, located substantially as shown, so as to engage and move the stay-rod of a front leg unit as hereinafter more fully described.

Hingedly attached to the leg members IB, as at I8, is a substantially V-shaped stay element I9, the looped end portion 20 of which is slldably sup- (Cl. :as-117) ported on a longitudinal guide bar ZI secured at its'opposite ends to the under-side of the table top or board lil, as lat 22. The guide bar 2l is of such length and so located on the underside of the table top that sufficient movement is afforded the stay element I9 to permit the rear leg unit I4 to be folded, compactly close to the under-side of the table top inv closed position and also whereby the leg unit may be moved a considerable distance past dead center in its opened position and in which latter position the intermediate portionZIl ofthe stay element I9 engages the shouldered rear end portion of the guide bar ZI` so as to firmly support the table top or board I.

The front leg assembly comprises a triangular leg unit 23 which, as shown, may be formed of a single metal rod formed with the intermediate transverse portion 24 and convergent pair of leg extensionsi which may be welded or otherwise suitably secured togetherv at their meeting end portions .23'.r The intermediate transverse portion 2d of the front leg unit 23 is journalled in bearing brackets 2l on the `under-side of the table top or board I0. f

Hingedly attached, as at 28, to the end portion 2G of the front leg unit 23, is a stay rod 29 having a looped opposite end portion 30 slidably supported ona guiding and locking element 3l secured o n the under-side of the table top or'board Ill near the hinged support for the rear leg unit I4. This guiding and locking element 3I, as

- shown, comprises a longitudinally disposed bar,

the forward end portion of which is shouldered and attached to the under-side of the table top or board I0, as at 32, while the rear portion thereof is re-bent downwardly to provide an off-set loop 33 and the extreme end portion 34 being attached to the under-side of the table top or board I0.

In the opened position of the front leg unitA 23,

as shown in Figure 1, the looped portion 30 of the stay-rod'29 is engaged in said downwardly unit I4, if desired, by manually releasing the looped portion 30 of the stay-rod 29 from the retaining loop 33` of the guiding and locking element 3| and then moving said leg unit 23 to closed position. However, it is preferred to provide the rear leg unit I4 with a tripping element 35 which is located and arranged so as to engage and move the looped portion 3D of the stay-bar 29 from the looped portion 33 of the element 3l just prior to engagement of said staybar 29 by the cross member I'l of the rear leg unit I4 when said rear leg unit I4 is moved to closed postion. As shown, the tripping element 35 is rigidly attached to the intermediate transverse portion I5 of the rear leg unit I4 and is in the form of a tongue of proper form and length to engage the loop 30 of the rod 29 at one side of the retaining loop 33 of the element 3l. After the loop 30 of the rod A29 is thus disene gaged from the retaining loop of the guide element 3I the cross member IVI of the rear leg unit I4 engages said rod 29 and moves it forwardly, thereby causing the hingedly connected front leg unit 23 to swing upwardly on the bearing brackets 21 and at least nearly to its fully closed position.

While the foregoing is the preferred construction and arrangement for effecting the closing of the front leg unit by movement of the rear leg unit to closed position, it is obvious that either the cross member I'I of the rear leg unit or the tripping element 35 may be alone provided and utilized for the purpose.

From the foreging description it is noted that While the front and rear leg units are separately constructed and mounted, they are so corre lated that they cooperate to support the table top in opened position, and the peculiar form and mounting of the rear leg unit is an essential feature of the invention in that it provides the main support due to the lateral spread of the leg-members I t and the positioning of the unit past dead center, together with the engagement of the stay-member I9 with the shoulder at the end of the guide bar 2|, and in cooperation with the support afforded by the front leg unit 23, as hereinbefore described.

It is to be understood that the structure admits a considerable modiiicationwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement shown in the accompanying drawing.

What is claimed is:

1. A folding ironing table comprising a table top, a foldable rear leg unit hingedly mounted on the underside of the top adjacent the rear end thereof, means to limit rearward movement of said rear leg unit to a predetermined position,` a front leg unit hingedly mounted on the underside of the top forward of the rear leg unit, a stay-bar hingedly attached at one end to said front leg unit and having a looped opposite end portion, a guide bar located on the underside of the top between the front and rear leg units, said guide bar having a downwardly extending oifset loop for the engagement of the looped portion of said stay-bar whereby to releasably hold said front leg unit in opened position, and a tripping element on said rear leg unit arranged and adapted to engage the looped portion of said stay-bar and release it from the offset loop of said guide bar when the rear leg unit is moved to closed position.

2. A folding ironing table comprising a table top, a fol-dable rear leg unit movable to a closed position-under the top and to an opened predetermined supporting position past dead center, means to limit rearward movement of said rear leg unit to said predetermined position, a foldable front leg unit movable to a closed position under the table top, a stay element hingedly attached at one end to said front leg unit and having provision at its opposite end for slidable and releasable locking engagement with a guide element, a longitudinal guide element located on the underside of the top between said front and rear leg units, said guide element having a downwardly extending offsetloop to receive the end portion of said stay element whereby to hold said front leg unit in opened position, and a tripping member on said rear leg unit to engage said stay element of the front leg unit and release it from the looped portion of said guide element when the rear leg unit is moved to closed position.

3. A folding ironing table comprising a table top, separate front and rear leg units hingedly attached to the underside of the top, means to limit rearward movement of the rear leg unit to a predetermined position, a stay element hingedly attached to the front leg unit and slidably guided longitudinally on the underside' of the top, means for releasably locking the stay element of the front leg unit on its guiding means, and a tripping element on said rear leg unit to engage and release the stay element of the front leg unit from its locked engagement with the guiding means thereof when the rea'r leg unit is moved to closed position.

ANTHONY C. KOSTER'. 

